Rebel Rasta Tarrus Riley Talks Image And Masculinity
One cannot look at roots reggae singer Tarrus Riley and call his style dull because it’s anything but. He doesn’t adorn himself in the traditional Rastafarian garb but brings a fresh feel with his hip-hop-esque-style. For the contemporary reggae artiste, mood influences the way he dresses.
If you haven’t been keeping up, Tarrus Riley has been dubbed the Fresh Prince of JA. His style is spontaneous and bold, not fitting any hard masculine fashion norms, but fluid. It’s not unusual to see him in brightly coloured and patterned kaftans, calf-high socks, and activewear. Just picture the ’90s ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ starring Will Smith and you’ll see that there is some style similarity there. Maybe you haven’t seen his summer single, The Fresh Prince of JA with masterful Will Smith-inspired visuals and a similar narrative like the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ TV series.
‘Singy Singy’ Tarrus expressed to the Sunday Gleaner, “I go to the studio only to see mi bredrin have a riddim with the name Fresh Prince, but funny enough, him never have the style. And me just go in the studio and give them that vibes. Since then, people have been calling me Fresh Prince because we keep it fresh.”
The Tarrus Riley of early 2000 fashioned his style with subtle neutral tones, and twenty years later, his style features eccentric prints. His fashion often reflects his mood, and not the song.
He added, “It goes with whatever I am feeling. I don’t overthink it. There are times when I want to put in some of my vibes wid fi dem vibes. Sometimes we have stylists … because I am not the style master, and sometimes they come with cool ideas. Other times, me just waan do my own thing.”
His recreations of rebel wear are evident in his ‘other than typical’ wide-brim hats or perfectly paired plain T-shirts with uniquely designed vests. Yet, his cool look is not the only thing that shapes his marketability. When asked if he felt that his image and style were key factors in his marketability as an artiste, he expressed that he was more drawn to the art -the music-, rather than image, which he understands, in today’s market, is a big deal.
“Yes and no. No and yes. I am more of a music person. More for the art instead of the image, but today, people deal with image, and it’s funny because once upon a time, a Rastaman with eyeglasses wasn’t necessarily the cool look,” he answered.
The truth is, in decades past, men clothed in florals and animal prints, while accepted by some as an expression of individuality, for others, it was not cool male attire, far from being the most masculine option, and downright feminine.
On the matter of masculinity, Tarrus made it clear that he is all man, regardless of the clothes he’s wearing. “Well, I’m masculine in and out of clothes. Clothes don’t have that power over me and can’t make me look different than what I am, and I am a man – bright colours, all that, et cetera, cannot change that. Don’t give clothes too much power,” he said.
His signature style, like his locks and tattoos, yes tattoos, are all personal to him and not a part of any image formulation or marketing tactic.
In his own words, “Just like how me have locks, just like how I don’t shave … all these things are personal to me, and they are not something I get up and walk around bragging about. It (the tattoos) is not an image or promotional strategy, but lifetime commitments, so they are very much sincere to me.”
One thing for sure is that his unique and eclectic fashion is helping to redefine reggae culture.
Tarrus’ plans to launch his T-shirt and hat line are still in the works. Until it’s ready, “imagine a Rastaman wid a Yeezy” -cool rastaman sneakers by Tarrus Riley.